Platinum Jubilee: Bangor gets city status for Queen's celebrations

Bangor Marina draws tourists throughout the year

The seaside town of Bangor, in County Down, has received city status as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

It is one of a record eight winners in the 2022 Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours Competition. 

The others include Colchester, Doncaster and Milton Keynes in England; Douglas in the Isle of Man; Dunfermline in Scotland and Wrexham in Wales.

Bangor was required to show its royal associations and cultural heritage.

Its application pointed out that in 1961, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited Bangor Castle and had lunch at the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, before the duke raced in the regatta.

Sitting at the top of Belfast Lough, Bangor boasts a proud naval heritage

In 1903, Edward VII visited Bangor with Queen Alexandra following a tour of Ireland as part of his Coronation celebrations.

In its bid for city status, the application from Bangor said it was the first council in Northern Ireland to add health and social care staff to its list of freemen of the borough.

It also said it had a rich naval heritage - due to its location at the mouth of the Belfast Lough, it became a key site for allied forces during World War Two.

In May 1944, the supreme commander of Allied forces, Dwight D Eisenhower, gave a speech to 30,000 assembled troops in Bangor, shortly before the Allied invasion of Normandy.

Bangor is one of eight winners of the competition to mark the jubilee celebrations

• Bangor has a population of 61,011 and lies about 10 miles north-east of Belfast, on the southern side of Belfast Lough

• In the Middle Ages it was renowned for its monastic and scholarly tradition. A monastery founded by Saint Comgall would become home to several missionaries, including Saint Malachy and Saint Columbanus, who went on to start monasteries across Europe

• It was a key site for the Allies during the Second World War due to its strategic location

• In more recent history, it was the birth place of Snow Patrol lead singer Gary Lightbody, writer Colin Bateman former and Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said winning city status was a "huge accolade".

"This competition showcases the best of Britain and the Overseas Territories and will act as a lasting legacy of Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee," she said.

Almost 40 locations from across the UK and beyond put forward their bid to become a city.

'Day one for us going forward'

There are no set rules or minimum population for city status. It is officially awarded by the Queen on the advice of government ministers, who along with a panel of experts evaluate applications.

With its picturesque coastline and secluded bays, Bangor is a popular seaswimming, sailing and paddle-boarding destination

Alison Gordon from the local Open House said Bangor's rich history had laid the groundwork for a vibrant future.

"In Victorian times Bangor was known as the Brighton of Ireland," she said.

"It was a major seaside resort and it still has all those beautiful seafront assets and a really strong creative community that is growing, so I think that we can offer that seaside resort destination for people coming from Belfast and beyond."

President of the Bangor Chamber of Commerce Geoff Thompson was also looking to the future as he welcomed the news.

"This is really day one for us going forward. The business community and the residents, and the local council and government will build on it as much as we can. This is a fantastic thing."

Letters patent will now be prepared which will confer each of the awards formally and will be presented to winners later in the year. 

Twenty years ago, Lisburn and Newry were awarded city status in a competition to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee.